Disposer apparatus control



April 1970 c. BURKLAND ETAL 3,504,863

D I SPOSER APPARATUS CONTROL Origi'hal Filed Nov. 10, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 7, 1970- c. w. BURKLAND ETAL 3,504,863

DISPOSER APPARATUS CONTROL Original Filed Nov. 10, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet z v x 66 Fig.6,

United States Patent 3,504,863 DISPOSER APPARATUS CONTROL Charles W. Burkland and Frank E. Ross, Newton, Iowa, assignors to The Maytag Company, Newton, Iowa, a corporation of Delaware Continuation of application Ser. No. 593,568, Nov. 10, 1966. This application May 7, 1969, Ser. No. 824,745 Int. Cl. B02c 18/42 US. Cl. 24 1-32.5 18 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A batch-type waste disposer apparatus includes magnetic actuation means carried by the lid member for energizing the apparatus upon positioning of the lid within the disposer inlet. A preferred embodiment includes a ring magnet carried by the lid and operable for actuating a reed switch mounted adjacent to the outer periphery of the disposer inlet for completing an energizing circuit to the disposer apparatus drive means.

This is a continuation of Ser. No. 593,568, now abandoned.

This invention relates to waste disposer apparatus and more particularly to control of the disposer apparatus motor operation.

Prior art has shown a number of devices for controlling operation of the disposer by effecting selective energization and de-energization of the drive motor through manipulation of the lid assembly. The majority of these devices include an actuating member associated with the lid assembly physically engaging and mechanically operating a switch member located adjacent the inlet. One prior patent uses a magnet to actuate a switch and thereby energize the drive motor without physical contact between the lid assembly and switching member. All of these prior art devices, however, require predetermined angular positioning or orientation of the lid assembly relative to the disposer apparatus and then rotation of the lid assembly to achieve actuation of the switching member.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved disposer apparatus having a control system for energizing the disposer apparatus drive motor while eliminating the need for angular positioning or orientation of the lid assembly.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved disposer apparatus having a lid assembly that eliminates the need for prepositioning and manual rotation of the lid assembly to actuate the disposer apparatus.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved disposer apparatus having a lid assembly including annular actuation means for selectively actuating the disposer apparatus in a first elevational position of the lid assembly with respect to the inlet of the disposer apparatus.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved disposer apparatus having a lid assembly including a ring magnet for actuating the disposer apparatus upon placement of the lid assembly in the disposer apparatus in any of the multiplicity of angular positions in which the lid assembly may be positioned in the disposer apparatus.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved disposer apparatus having a lid assembly including a ring magnet for operating an adjacently mounted reed switch from any of the angular positions in which the lid may be positioned in the disposer inlet.

The present invention achieves the above objectives in a waste disposer apparatus having an annular member associated with the inlet thereof for selectively actuating the disposer apparatus upon movement of the annular member to a predetermined vertical position adjacent the disposer inlet. In a preferred embodiment, a reed switch, mounted adjacent the outer periphery of the disposer inlet and aligned with the operative position of an annular magnet, is responsive to the magnet for completing an energizing circuit to the disposer apparatus drive means.

Operation of the device and further objects and advantages thereof will become evident as the description proceeds and from an examination of the accompanying two pages of drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and in which similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an overall side view of a waste disposer apparatus shown partially in vertical section to illustrate the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal sectional view showing further details of the instant invention as taken through the inlet portion of the disposer along section line 2--2 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 3 is an electrical schematic circuit showing the control system of the instant invention;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the inlet portion of the disposer apparatus showing the instant invention in greater detail as taken generally along section line 44 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 showing the lid assembly in the reversed, or inverted, position; and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view of the inlet similar to that of FIGURE 5 showing the valve portion of the lid assembly in its sealing position for closing the fluid ingress into said disposer apparatus.

Referring to FIGURE 1, there is shown a generally cylindrical waste disposer apparatus including an upper housing 11 defining a comminution chamber 12 for accommodating waste material to be comminuted and further including an inlet 14 at its upper end for receiving the waste material. The inlet 14 includes a flanged inlet sleeve member 15 supportable in a drain opening of a sink (not shown) or the like. The inlet sleeve member 15 is connected to the flanged inlet end 13- of the upper housing 11 through a supporting arrangement, indicated generally by the arrow 16, and which includes upper and lower mounting plates '19 and 20 and housing clamping plate 21.

The inner flange portion 24 of the lower mounting plate 20 is supported on a retaining ring 25 carried by an inwardly extending recess 26 formed in the flanged inlet sleeve 15. A plurality of mounting studs 29 are threadingly engageable with the lower mounting plate 20 and extend upwardly therethrough to bear against the upper mounting plate 19 which in turn bears against the lower side of a supporting sink flange (not shown) through a resilient sink gasket 30. The mounting studs 29 further carry a clamping nut 31 engageable with the lower surface of the housing clamping plate 21. Tightening of the clamping nuts 31 on mounting studs 29 clamps the flanged inlet end 13 of the upper housing 11 between the lower mounting plate 20 and the housing clamping plate 21. Tightening of the studs 29 separates the upper mounting plate 19 from the lower mounting plate 20 to effect a connection of the disposer to the sink through the flanged inlet sleeve 15.

A lower housing 35 defines a discharge chamber 36 communicating with a fluid outlet 39. The lower housing 35 is attached to the upper housing 11 through a housing clamp 38 encompassing the lower portion of the upper housing 11 and having flange 40 mating with a flange 41 of lower housing 35. A plurality of bolts 44 join the mating flanges 40, 41.

A substantially cylindrical shredder ring 45 is maintained in a relatively stationary position through the clamping action of the housing clamp 38 and the lower housing 35. The shredder ring 45 includes a plurality of inwardly extending shredding elements 46 disposed around the inner periphery of the shredder ring. Between each of the inwardly extending elements 46 is a longitudinally extending channel 47 for accommodating flow of fluid and comminuted waste material from the comminuting chamber 12 toward the discharge chamber 36 and the outlet 39. The shredder ring 45 engages and compresses a sealing flange 50 at the lower end of the upper housing 11 and a sealing gasket 51 recessed into the upper flange 41 of the lower housing 35 to seal the comminuting chamber 12 and discharge chamber 36 from leakage through the connection at the mating flanges 40, 41 of the housing clamp 38 and the lower housing 35. A fluid seal is provided at the upper end of the housing 11 by the juncture of the lower end of the inlet sleeve 15 and the upper inner shoulder of inlet end 13 of the housing 11.

A rotary impeller assembly 54 includes a rotor 55 attached to the motor shaft (not shown) for rotation therewith. The rotor 55 supports at least one impeller 56 that is cooperable with the inwardly extending elements 46 of the shredder ring 45 for effecting comminution of the waste material upon operation of the motor.

Attached to the lower portion of the lower housing 35 is a motor 59 for rotating the rotary impeller assembly 54 to effect comminution of the waste material between the impellers 56 and the shredder ring 45.

Disposed within the inlet sleeve 15 is a lid assembly indicated generally by the arrow 60. This lid assembly 60 is effective as a stopper for the disposer apparatus, as a motor control means, and as a fluid flow control means as will be more fully described hereinafter. Supported adjacent to the exterior of the inlet sleeve 15 of the disposer apparatus is means, indicated generally by arrow 100, for controlling energization of the motor 59 responsive to manual manipulation of the lid assembly 60 as will also be more fully described hereinafter.

Referring to the lid assembly 60 as best shown in FIGURES 2 and 4 through 6, it is seen that the lid assembly 60 is insertable into the inlet sleeve 15 in any angular orientation in either of two postures. The lid assembly 60 is invertable for selectively energizing motor 59 and further includes a movable knob and shaft assembly 61 for selectively permitting fluid flow into the comminution chamber 12.

The lid assembly 60 includes a body portion 64 that may be formed of a plastic material. The body portion 64 includes a plurality of openings 65 for defining a fluid ingress into said disposer apparatus and further includes a lower recess 66 for receiving a ring magnet 69, as shown in FIGURE 4.

The ring magnet 69 is continuous and extends around the annular recess 66 to form a switch actuator that is not dependent upon angular prepositioning or orientation of the lid assembly. The ring magnet 69 may be formed of magnetizable plastic materials, ceramics, or metals. The magnetic material for use with the instant invention is magnetized so that the ring magnet 69, as used in FIG- URE 4, includes a first magnetic pole at the inner periphery 70 of the ring magnet and a second magnetic pole at the outer periphery 71 thereof. In one embodiment, the ring magnet 69 is formed by wrapping a long strip of magnetized plastic material around the recess 66 in the lid body portion 64 a plurality of times to form a ring magnet 69 of the desired cross section. The strip, before wrapping, has been previously magnetized through the thickness of the strip so that the resulting magnet has a first and second magnetic pole on the inner and outer peripheries, respectively, as previously indicated desirable for the instant invention. This arrangement of magnetic poles is used for actuating the disposer motor '59 as will be more fully shown hereinafter.

The lid assembly 60 further includes an encompassing sleeve 74 for enclosing the outer surface of the body portion 64 and the ring magnet 69. The sleeve 74 includes a flanged position 76 engageable with a recess or groove formed in the body portion 64. The body portion 64 and attached sleeve 74 fit Within the inlet sleeve 15 and rest on the inwardly extending rib 79 formed by the recess 26 in the cylindrical portion of the inlet sleeve 15.

The sleeve 74 further retains a lip seal 80 on the upper portion of the body portion 64 as shown in FIG- URE 4 that is engageable with the inwardly extending rib 79 upon reversal of the lid assembly 60 for sealing against flow of fluid around the lid assembly 60 when in the inverted posture as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6.

The body portion 64 further includes a centrally located, axially extending, cylindrical opening 81 (see FIG- URE 2) having a pair of radially extending longitudinal grooves 84 for receiving a shaft member 85 having a pair of outwardly extending ribs 86 along a portion of the shaft 85. Connected to opposite ends of the shaft 85 is a pair of knobs of which the upper knob in FIGURE 4 may be designated as the lid assembly knob 89 and the second knob designated as the stopper knob 90. It will be noted from FIGURES 4 through 6 that the knob and shaft assembly 61 is axially movable relative to the body portion 64 of the lid assembly 60 and rotatable relative to the body portion 64 when the knob and shaft assembly 61 is moved to a position as shown in FIGURE 5. Axial movement of the knob and shaft assembly 61 will move the pair of extending ribs 86 to a position at which they become disengaged from the mating grooves 84 in the body member 64 and then rotation of the knob and shaft assembly will move the ribs 86 to a position of nonalignment with the grooves 84 at which position the ribs will rest on an upper hub surface 91 of the body member 64 to retain the knob and shaft assembly 61 in an elevated position relative to the body portion 64 as shown in FIGURE 5 for allowing fluid flow through the lid assembly 60.

Connected to the knob and shaft assembly 61 adjacent the stopper knob is a valve arrangement including a pair of substantially rigid plates 93 and 94 clamping a flexible valve member 95 therebetween adjacent the stopper knob 90. This valve arrangement is engageable with the body portion 64 of the lid assembly 60 as shown in FIGURE 6 to prevent flow of fluid through the fluid ingress opening 65.

Referring again to the control system of the instant invention, a reed switch 99 is positioned adjacent the outer periphery of the inlet sleeve 15 by means 100 including a lower switch housing portion 101 and a cover portion 104. The switch housing portion 101 is supported by a housing retainer 105 that is in turn welded to the lower mounting plate 20.

The reed switch 99 is located at a predetermined vertical position adjacent the inlet sleeve 15 so as to be positioned in the horizontal plane substantially bisecting the ring magnet 69 when the lid assembly 60 is in the operating position as shown in FIGURE 4. At this horizontal plane, the lines of magnetic force extending between the inner and outer magnetic poles are concentrated and tend to radiate in a substantially outward direction along this plane to pass longitudinally through the reed switch 99 and effect actuation thereof. It will be noted that this magnetic field is present around the entire ring magnet 69 and thus the ring magnet is operable for actuating the reed switch 99 regardless of the angular orientation of the lid assembly 60. It will also be noted that inverting the lid assembly 60 to a posture as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6 moves the ring magnet 69 to a second vertical position above the reed switch 99 for preventing actuation of the reed switch 99 and maintaining the disposer apparatus drive motor 59 de-energized.

An alternate embodiment not shown would include positioning of a biasing magnet radially outward from the reed switch 99 so that lines of force from the outer magnetic pole of the ring magnet would extend toward a biasing magnet through the reed switch 99 with a stronger magnetic field than if the biasing magnet were not used. It has been found, however, that the stronger magnetic field through the reed switch effected by the biasing magnet is not required in the preferred embodiment.

The reed switch 99 is connected into the control circuit by a pair of wires 106, 107 which extend from the reed switch 99 through a flexible conduit 110 to other elements of the control circuit as will be shown hereinafter.

The control circuit is shown schematically in FIG- URE 3 and includes a plurality of control and operating elements connected between power lines L and L The reed switch 99 is connected in series with a relay coil 111 that is energizable in response to completion of a circuit through the reed switch 99 for operating a line switch 114 to the closed condition and thereby completing an energizing circuit to the drive motor 59. The drive motor 59 includes the start winding 115 and the run winding 116 and further includes a starting relay 117 and capacitor 118. After completion of a circuit through the reed switch 99 and operation of the line switch 114 to the closed position, the run winding 116 is energized and then start winding 115 is energized through switch 119 for accelerating the motor 59 to operating speed. Upon encountering a decrease in current to run winding 116 the starting relay coil 117 is de-energized to open the start winding switch 119 and remove the start winding 115 from the circuit. Operation of the run winding 116 continues under control of the thermal protector 120 which is operable to an open position upon encountering an overload condition.

The instant invention may be more clearly seen by reviewing the operation of the disposer shown in the attached drawings. The invention is applied to a batchtype disposer and thus the first step in its operation is to remove the lid assembly 60 and insert the waste material into the comminuting chamber through the inlet 14. The water is turned on and then the lid assembly 60 is insertedinto the inlet 14 in a position as shown in FIG- URE 4. Movement of the lid assembly 60 and ring magnet 69 to the position shown in FIGURE 4 actuates the reed switch 99 to a closed position for energizing the drive motor 59. The knob and shaft assembly 61 will assume the position shown in FIGURE 4 to allow fluid flow through the fluid ingress 65 of the body portion. Operation of the device will continue until the lid assembly 60 is moved from the position shown in FIG- URE 4.

If the operator desires to use the sink, to which the disposer is established, without operating the disposer, the lid assembly 60 may be reversed and reinserted into the inlet sleeve as shown in FIGURES 5 and6. With the knob and shaft assembly 61 in the same rotational orientation relative to the body portion 64 as shown in FIGURE 4, the knob and shaft assembly 61 will assume a position as shown in FIGURE 6 when the lid assembly '60 is inverted. This position of the lid assembly 60 and the knob and shaft assembly 61 prevents fluid flow around the outer periphery of the lid assembly 60 because of the lip seal 80 and prevents fluid flow through the fluid ingress openings 65 because of the closing of the openings 65 by the valve member 95 attached adjacent to the stopper knob 90. Use of the lid assembly 60 as shown in FIGURE 6 will allow the sink to be filled with fluid.

Fluid may then be drained from the sink by moving the knob and shaft assembly 61 axially upwardly with respect to the body portion and then rotating the knob and shaft assembly 61 for positioning the outwardly extending rib 86 to a position at which it rests on the hub portion 91 of the body member 64. The knob and shaft assembly 61 is retained in a position as shown in FIGURE 5 whereby fluid flow is permitted through the fluid ingress opening 65 while the disposer apparatus is maintained de-energized.

It is thereby seen that the instant invention provides an improved control system having a lid assembly which has eliminated the previous requirement of prepositioning of the lid assembly at a particular predetermined angular orientation. This lid assembly allows operation of the device upon insertion into the inlet in any of an infinite multiplicity of angular positions.

In the drawings and specification, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, these are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Changes in form and the proportion of parts as well as the substitution of equivalents are con templated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention as further defined in the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a waste disposer apparatus having an inlet for receiving waste material and fluid, the combination comprising: a housing defining a comminution chamber; selectively locatable lid means for at least partially closing said inlet; comminution means for comminuting waste material within said chamber; drive means for operating said comminution means to effect said comminution of waste material; circuit means for controlling energization of said drive means; and substantially annular actuation means carried by said lid means for magnetically actuating said circuit means to energize said drive means responsive to movement of said lid means to an operative position juxtaposed said inlet.

2. A waste disposer apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said substantially annular actuation means is operable for selectively actuating said circuit means responsive to movement of said lid means to a predetermined vertical position within said inlet.

3. In a waste disposer apparatus having an inlet for receiving waste material and fluid, the combination comprising: a housing defining a comminution chamber; selectively insertable lid means for at least partially closing said inlet; comminution means for comminuting waste material within said chamber; drive means for operating said comminution means to effect said comminution of waste material; circuit means for controlling energization of said drive means; and a ring magnet carried by said lid means for operating said circuit means from a first condition to a second condition for energizing said drive means responsive to movement of said lid means to an operative position relative to said inlet.

'4. In a waste disposer apparatus as defined in claim 3 and further including means for locating said ring magnet at a predetermined vertical orientation in said inlet.

5. In a waste disposer apparatus having an inlet for receiving waste material and fluid, the combination comprising: a housing defining a comminution chamber; comminuation means for comminuting waste material within said chamber; drive means for operating said comminution means to effect said comminution of waste material; circuit means for controlling energization of said drive means; and actuation means including a ring magnet for selectively actuating said circuit means to energize said drive means responsive to movement of said actuation means to an operative position juxtaposed said inlet.

6. In a waste disposer apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said actuation means is engageable with said inlet in a multiplicity of angular positions about the centerline of said disposer apparatus at a predetermined vertical position relative to said inlet and wherein said ring magnet is operable in any of said angular positions for actuating said circuit means.

7. In a waste disposer apparatus as defined in claim wherein said circuit means includes a reed switch responsive to said ring magnet for effecting energization of said drive means.

8. In a waste disposer apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said reed switch is positioned adjacent the outer periphery of said inlet for responsive to said ring magnet upon movement of said actuation means to said operative position.

9. In a waste disposer apparatus having an inlet for receiving waste material and fluid, the combination comprising: a housing defining a comminution chamber; comminution means for comminuting waste material within said chamber; drive means for operating said comminution means to effect said comminution of waste material; circuit means for controlling energization of said drive means; selectively insertable lid means for at least partially closing said inlet; and a ring magnet for selectively actuating said circuit means to energize said drive means responsive to movement of said ring magnet to an operative position juxtaposed said inlet.

10. In a waste disposer apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said ring magnet is carried by said lid means and wherein said circuit means is responsive to movement of said lid means to an operative position juxtaposed said inlet.

11. In a waste disposer apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said ring magnet is carried by said lid means and wherein said circuit means includes a reed switch responsive to movement of said lid means to an operative position juxtaposed said inlet.

12. In a waste disposer apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein said reed switch is positioned adjacent the outer periphery of said inlet in a plane corresponding substantially to the bisecting horizontal plane of said ring magnet when said lid means is positioned in said operative position.

13. In a waste disposer apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said reed switch lies substantially along a radial line extending outwardly from the vertical centerline of said disposer apparatus.

14. In a waste disposer apparatus having an inlet for receiving waste material and fluid, the combination comprising: a housing defining a comminution chamber; selectively locatable lid means for at least partially closing said inlet; comminution means for comminuting waste material within said chamber; drive means for operating said comminution means to eifect said comminution of waste material; circuit means for controlling energization of said drive means and including reed switch means juxtaposed to said inlet; and actuation means for magnetically actuating said reed switch means to energize said drive means responsive to movement of said lid means to an operative position juxtaposed said inlet.

15. A waste disposer apparatus as defined in claim 14 wherein said actuation means includes a ring magnet carried by said lid means and wherein said reed switch means is responsive to movement of said lid means to a position adjacent to said reed switch means.

16. A waste disposer apparatus as defined in claim 14 wherein said actuation means includes a magnet carried by said lid means.

17. In a waste disposer apparatus as defined in claim 16 wherein said reed switch means is positioned adjacent the outer periphery of said inlet in a plane corresponding substantially to a horizontal plane through said magnet with said lid means positioned in said operative position.

18. In a waste disposer apparatus as defined in claim 16 wherein said reed switch means lies substantially along a radial line extending outwardly from the vertical centerline of said disposer apparatus.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,477,686 8/1949 Coss 24ll00.5 2,484,459 10/1949 Osborn 24l32.5 2,678,775 5/1954 Simmons 24l32.5 2,619,654 12/1952 Coss 24l32.5 2,939,639 6/1960 Coss 24132.5

GERALD A. DOST, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 241100.5 

